Season's Greetings!

Does anybody have some practical advice regarding the operation of a Ouija board? I'm not looking to create an "effect" out of it. I am hosting a night with some friends in the spirit of M.R. James wherein we are all going to be telling a ghost story. I was thinking it would be fun to have an actual Ouija experience be a part of the evening but I've never used a Ouija and I'm not sure what one might do to encourage maximum results. I have a vintage Ouija board though it's showing signs of its age and the surface isn't as smooth as I'd imagine would be beneficial.

Also it is probably worth mentioning that the Ouija will be situated on an old metal trunk which serves as a coffee table rather than as it would be done traditionally on a taller table with people seated in high-backed chairs. I'm concerned that because people will be leaning over it rather than back from it I won't benefit from any fatigue that might occur from holding one's arms up for a period of time.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most welcome.

Cheers!

-Covernton

If your old one is sticky, try giving it a good rub with a soft, dry cloth.

Barry

Old metal trunk means that you can stick a very powerful PK magnet inside the trunk's lid...

I would recommend keeping it very simple. Just use the Ouija as is. Try it out yourself beforehand to ensure the planchette does indeed slide on the surface and, if so, you are ready.

You set the tone. Tell your tale. Let them have at the board, and the evening will be lovely.

BC

If they want to see results strongly enough, they'll see results. The only real work on your part should be in getting them enthusiastic enough about it to get results without having to sit still for an hour first.

Atmosphere and a good tale to set the mood is all you need. But yes -
Make sure the darn planchette glides nicely. I've had to use pledge on my wood board to reduce friction.

I've also found that some stick-on felt or velvet on the bottom of the planchette helps, as long as it's not damaging the collector's value of an antique or anything to add it. It can really help with the smooth gliding.

My book, The Ouija Board, is about using the talking board to get maximum results although it's not geared towards tricks but rather an actual talking board session.

Get everybody warmed up by doing a rhythmic breathing visualization to start and you'll get better results. This is a good procedure to follow with any "non push button" seance type routine. And keep in mind that all you need to do is to concentrate on where you want the planchette to go or what kind of movement you want it to do (circles, CW, CCW, linear, etc) and it will go there. It should take no observable movement on your part. If you participants are good at concentrating then one of them may find themselves moving the planchette without their realizing it. The board is an amazing, ungaffed device that requires no mechanics to result in very cool effects. Good Luck!

I think the original OuiJa board was balanced on the knees of the participants, so bending over shouldn't be a problem... I have a gaffed board but the best results are without the gaff... After the session the planchette moves on its own very slightly in response to a cleansing ritual... Less is more

Thanks all! Tomorrow's the experiment. I must say it's almost nice to go into a situation where it's so fluid and no "impossible moment" is expected. What happens happens!

Cheers!

And Happy Holidays!

I would suggest having a pendulum as a back up if you are concerned. I have never had more than one person in any group that wont get a response. A lot of Ouija boards are coming with pendulums now instead of planchetts. The response time is much faster. Eash participant can hold one or they can share one. You can try the planchette first but if its not working out you can still get a hit with a pendulum combined with the ouija board.

I have never used a gaff. There really is no need.

Thanks for the help all! It was a fabulous fun evening of ghost stories and spectral japes. The Mansion was never so phantasmagorically festive.

To report on the Ouija board we sat for a good long time with the thing, after the stories were done, by the light of a candle and experienced not even a twitch of the planchette. Fortunatelly that unusual crystal bell in the corner broke the silence after 10 minutes or so. Apparently the spirits don't use Ouija as their medium =)

Thanks again for the suggestions. I believe this evening will become a yearly tradition so there's always next year to see if the Clapping Ghost that haunts the sitting room cares to tell us anything through the talking board.

Cheers! And Happy Holidays!

-Covernton

Sounds like it was a good evening. When too much happens people suspect it is a trick. When nothing happens it must be real. You may have had a spectator so intent on proving it fake that they inadvertantly or purposefully prevented the movement. Try the pendulum next year. The real fun is often in the journey and not the destination.